You’re not as cool as that Vsco filter.
But it’s okay, because neither am I.
While having an in-class discussion about social media and its effect on society, most strategic communications majors came to the conclusion that social media: reflects, enhances, informs, occupies, and represents members of our society in a way traditional means of communication could not; an argument that is arguably correct.
But then I thought: Does social media accurately reflect reality, or does it alter it? I’d argue that social media and our internet personalities alter our perception of reality, and give others a false representation of ourselves. Photography is an amazing thing, it truly is. But, no photo that’s been edited with a higher saturation or contrast than normal can be considered an accurate representation of a realistic scene.
That’s the truth.
Companies such as Snapchat, Vsco, Instagram, (and even Facebook sometimes) thrive on the use of the filter. However, in exchange for some brighter colors and a “matching” photo feed, we are giving up our accurate perceptions of reality. I am no exception.
I love Instagram, have a passion for studying social media, and honestly, I just enjoy the process of editing photos. On some occasions, I’ve found myself enhancing my photography for hours on end. But no matter what our feeds look like after we’ve posted them, it is so much more important to remember each moment for its natural beauty, (or ugliness even) because we can’t truly filter our eye sight without wearing some colored shades.
Think of your own feed, and that awesome landscape photo you’ve most likely taken. How likely are you to remember that scene as it actually looked, as compared to your edited photo with three hundred likes and a gorgeous vignette? It’s important to be both honest and observant in this life. But sometimes, our cameras twist our point of view. Filters aren’t harsh lies, but they can be considered white lies.
It can’t hurt to make that hiking trip look a little more rewarding with an overly-edited photo from the view at the top, can it? I mean, that’s a real photo, from a real view that you took, but nobody else got to see it the way you did with naked eyes.
I will continue to edit and filter my photos regardless, as will every other millennial, most likely. But the crisp colors in my photos don’t define me. The best way to combat this internet identity loss epidemic is to be honest in your captions and writing.
I am a sarcastic, quick-witted, obnoxious, attention whore. And you can pick up on that just by the way I’m posing and what it is I’m doing in my photos, (and my captions usually reflect my humor, so that’s a plus).
But, essays and blog posts give a much better look into who I am as a person, as opposed to my Vsco account or Instagram feed. In contrast to the famous Breakfast Club quote “We’re all a little bizarre, some of us are just better at hiding it,” we should remember that we’re all a little lame, too and that’s just natural.
So remember, you could portray yourself as the happiest and prettiest person online and still not be happy or beautiful in real life. You’re not as cool as that Vsco filter. But it’s okay, because neither am I.
At least now we’re aware of it.
This post was originally published on keepingcurious.weebly.com